Melissannde

Try overnight oatmeal. 1/4 cup steelcut oats (must be steelcut, I like bob's red mill brand) slightly more than 1 cup of Water. crockpot bowl that will fit inside crockpot vegetable oil cooking spray (optional) spray bowl with cooking spray (aids in cleanup later) measure 1/4 cup oats into bowl add 1 cup (plus 1 or 2 tablespoons) water to oats place bowl inside of cold crockpot. put lid on crockpot turn on low. go to bed. next morning, turn off crockpot and remove lid. Let bowl cool a little while you fix your coffee (or tea or whatever) and take your vits. When bowl is cool enough to handle remove and "doctor" up the oatmeal to your desire. suggestions: chopped apple or s-f applesauce, cinnamon, allspice, dash of salt, 1 tablespoon powdered non fat milk or skim milk, low/no calorie sweetner of your choice, 1 T. chopped walnuts. I add ALL of the above.. lol. I make it overnight as steelcut oats takes 10 to 20 minutes to cook on the stovetop and I'd rather sleep those extra minutes instead of stirring a pot. Oatmeal might seem counter-intuitive for a weight loss diet because it is high in carbs, and indeed it is. But steelcut oats are a low glycemic carb, meaning that they don't spike your blood sugar leaving you more hungry an hour or two later. I eat mine with a turkey sausage link or patty at about 7am on the days I plan to workout. This keeps me full (along with drinking my 32 oz of water) till at least noon and often till 1 or 2pm. Non workout days I like Hungry-Girl's "Egg in a Mug" recipes. Google either Hungry girl or egg in a mug and you should find the recipes. Sometimes breakfast is leftovers from dinner. My tummy (once I've had my coffee) doesn't know what time of day it is. another workout day breakfast is Non-fat plain greek yogurt (the flavored versions have too much sugar according to my nurses/dietician) and 1/4 cup Muesli (again, Bob's red mill product). Sometimes I also add a 1/4 cup blueberries or strawberries. Splenda or Equal if desired. Again, high in the carbs, but I am working out very hard (minimum of 90 minutes) on days that I eat such. Also Muesli is recommended on the Anti-cancer diet and I'm a cancer survivor, so that's something to consider for me. May or may not be something you want to eat. Just throwing it out there for thought.

Do you keep a food journal? either online or on paper. Online is really better because the sites often can determine the calories for you. I like livestrong.com/thedailyplate, but others love fitday.com and fatsecret.com has its fans. Or there's caloriecount.about.com OR you can use one of the band makers sites lapband.com or realize.com Writing or typing out everything that goes in your mouth makes you much more conscious of how much you're actually eating. Do you weigh and measure your food? You could try doing that a while and see if it helps. Previous posters advised changing or upping your exercise and to cut out carbs. I agree with both of those suggestions, but to be more specific about the carbs.. you need to avoid the high glycemic carbs as much as possible. This means things made with white flour (bread, pasta), white rice, white potatoes and all corn. Read labels on packages and avoid HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) as much as possible. If it's the first ingredient on the list.. either throw it out or don't buy it in the first place. If it's way down on the list, near the last.. you can probably get away with using the item just a little bit. As another poster said, the less you have to lose the slower it goes. Hang in there.. it will come off if you keep trying.

Yes, you have a choice regarding your gallbladder. They cannot take anything out without permission, unless it is a very unusual dire emergency.. such as a life-threatening situation. A normal gallbladder doesn't qualify as life threatening. Hope your husband gets well soon.

All what has been already said is good.. measure out your portion (my doc suggests 3oz Protein and 1/2 cup low carb veggies. If you're somewhere you can't weigh/measure, visualize a deck of cards and a tennis ball). When that is eaten, move away from the table and wait a bit. Still hungry after 20 minutes? Have more veggies (via my doc.). IF the small portion above isn't keeping you full for 3 to 4 hours or even longer, it might be time for a fill. I'd do what VLP suggested, keep a food diary for a few days, but I'd also take the food diary in so that the nurse or doctor can see what you're eating. I always do that and it's very helpful. They're able to see that yes I'm trying and counsel me on where I'm making less than optimal choices. LOL

When he says no protein, does he mean absolutely none or just no solid protein? There are clear liquid Proteins. Isopure I think is clear. You could even make up sugar-free Jello and drink it liquid.. it has a tiny bit of protein in it. unjury may or may not be clear. Please call and clarify. I agree, clear liquids alone (especially if he's requiring sugar free) would be difficult to handle for a week. Hope you're feeling better.

Don't feel bad about the delay Bob, you might not have been as mentally ready in August as you were in March. I was forced to delay mine by other health issues requiring surgery. I could've had my band about a year before I did.. but I needed the time to get my head together for the lifestyle changes being successful with the band requires. I also had to grieve over the loss from the other surgery. Be happy that you are doing well. :thumbup: I am with you on the "can eat anything" boat.. almost. I'm finally at the point where soft bread sometimes gives me trouble. I think the band should be used to diminish appetite, not so much a physical restriction. But other people work it differently.. and that's cool if it works for them. For me, it's been a way to reduce my portions and stay full on smaller amounts. I don't want to be so tight I can't eat normal foods. Congrats on your success and here's to your continuing loss. :smile2:

to OP.. yes, a thousand times yes. Hope.. CUTE doggie.. is that a Shih-tzu or ??

I had pretty severe pain too and very poor pain medication.. they only gave me Darvocet which IMO is glorified Tylenol. I was one unhappy camper as I had TOLD the NP that Darvocet wouldn't be enough and she assured me it would be. anyhoo.. I got through it using Vicodin left from dental procedures. It took me about 2 weeks to start feeling close to normal. You'll get through this and eventually be happy you had this done.. might take a while though to get to that point.

Another little "trick" that works for me is that when I want to indulge in something, I try and work the calories off first... before I eat it. I used to love McD's sausage biscuits. Those dang things are about 430 calories each. And I used to eat two of them per sitting. :thumbup: :smile2: Do you know how long it takes to work off 430 calories on a treadmill? Waaaayyy too long. So totally not worth it. Make a list of the reasons you want to lose weight and post it where you can see it every day (maybe in more than one place). Hang in there.. you can do this!!

Yup.. too tight. A slight unfill .1 or .2 cc will make a world of difference. Don't delay getting this taken care of.. too much reflux or pb'ing can cause big problems.

Congratulations on loosing 50 lbs!! It's disheartening I know to regain, but it does happen. You can start losing again if you work at it. You will get different responses to this.. but what I've been taught is that the band is supposed to DIM your hunger. Making it a little easier to control your impulses. It's always possible to eat more and to make poor choices, the band doesn't take over for you. I was told to eat 3 oz of Protein (I actually ate 4oz at the beginning of my journey because I was SMO ~ super morbidly obese ~ and have gone to 3oz as I lost) and 1/2 cup of low carb veggies. Try not to eat white carbs.. white potatoes, white rice, Pasta, bread, white flour products, corn...As these items TEND to be high glycemic and will make you hungry sooner. After eating your protein and produce.. move away from the table. If I am still hungry 20 minutes after I finish my meal, my nurses say I can have more veggies. I'm usually not physically hungry. Oh.. I can eat.. head hunger is almost never quiet.. but actual physical hunger is usually abated by the small meal. Yes, I see that you are saying that you have no control over what you put in your mouth. I know it is difficult, but you do have control. As someone said on another support list today.. food addiction is very difficult. With alcoholism or drug addiction, you can put the addiction in a cage and never let it out. With food addiction you have to let it out of the cage at least 3x a day. If you can't eat solid food comfortably, you may be too tight. When you are too tight it's so much easier to eat soft foods .. and those tend to be higher calorie. You need to be able to eat solid, but tender protein and vegetables. And a tiny tiny bit of whole grain. I have also had all my fills done by the nurses. I have seen my doctor in passing, but never had him do a fill or even an exam room visit with him. I'm perfectly fine with this. I think I might end up seeing him next week on my regular appt as he has started seeing patients on Wednesdays and that's the day of my appt. If you feel the nurses are competent regarding fills, and other follow-up, great. If you are unhappy, then you could ask to have an appt with one of the surgeons, or maybe even look for another bariatric practice. I'm not sure I buy the "no will-power" thing, but I will grant that maybe you really don't have any where food is concerned. Would you be willing to try to learn some techniques to develop some willpower? Look into behavior modification books. A very good one is "The Beck Diet Solution" by Judith Beck. It's not a diet per se, but a guide on how to deal with disordered eating and sabotaging thoughts and actions. Try putting yourself on a feeding schedule, if you know you're going to be able to eat again in a few hours, it might be a bit easier for you. For example: I have Breakfast at 7am. steel cut oatmeal with walnuts & apples & 1 turkey sausage patty or link. If I get hungry before lunch, I let myself have a high protein snack around 10am. Lunch is anywhere from Noon to 1pm depending on my schedule. smoked salmon/reduced fat cream cheese, veggies. PM snack is about 3 hours after lunch. today was a small apple and a cheese stick. Supper is usually about 6:30pm chicken breast & veggies. If I really want something ..and I haven't exceeded my calories, I will have 100 cal. snack (or less) before bed. I try to keep it to a cup of tea, but sometimes I'll have a bit of almonds. I also make myself drink 32 oz of Water between breakfast and lunch. Another 16 oz before supper and the last 16 oz after supper. This doesn't include any flavored drinks or tea I might have. I'm not perfect (fell off the wagon and ate a half box of saltines yesterday.. dang it), but every time I fall off, I get up and try again. You might also try keeping track of your food intake on a website such as The Daily Plate on LIVESTRONG.COM - Calorie Counter, Weight Loss, Food Calorie Counter, Nutrition Facts | LIVESTRONG.COM. I know other folks here really like fitday.com. The website All Things Food and Diet - FatSecret also has it's fans. Just chose one that works for you and use it. I think it's very helpful to record what I'm taking in. I can also make a printout when I go in for my appts and the nurse and I can discuss where I'm doing well and where I need to make changes. I know you said you exercise, but it might be that your body has become accustomed to what you are doing, you may need to do some extra or some intervals. Do you belong to a gym? If you do, see if they have any trainers who will work with you for a short period of time. I know I used to think that hiring a trainer was an indulgence.. and it is to a degree, but they can be very helpful. And not all of them are expensive. Does the bariatric group you're involved with have support groups? Do you attend? If they don't have any, may I suggest joining this one online? SmartBandsters : Smart_Bandsters health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SmartBandsters/ I hope I haven't come across harsh and unfeeling. That's not my intention at all. I'm impressed at how far you've come and am so glad you're reaching out for help.

I don't see any ads at all. I have an ad-blocker. I suspect that Junk food goes down easier because it's so processed. I'm sure the doc is also correct about the sugar content. If you're so tight that "real food" is hard to get down.. it might be time to think about a slight unfill. Doesn't have to be much ~ .2 cc can make a big difference. Just something to consider. :thumbup:

If you really must indulge...look for Pop chips. They're not fried, not baked.. but popped. Much lower in calories than regular and much tastier than baked. I can find small bags (100 calorie) at Books-a-Million and larger bags at Target.

I don't know what "brand" of band you have, but the allergan lap-band website recommends 4 to 6 weeks for the first fill. A Safe Procedure for Healthy Weight Loss | LAP-BAND® You may still have hunger issues even after the first fill. It often takes 3 or more to get to good appetite suppression. However, everyone is different and you might be one of the ones who gets hunger dimming with the first fill. Personally, I'd let the stomach heal more before the first fill, but I understand the anxiety about feeling too much hunger too. Follow what your doctor recommends plus your own good judgment.

emerald has 100 cal packs of almonds. jack links has 50 cal packs of jerky (teriyaki steak). I sometimes buy the pre-sliced apples & caramel Snacks.. and throw away the caramel.. they come packaged separately. I agree with above poster than cheese sticks do well w/o refrigeration for a good long time. thinking.... boiled eggs might be ok for a few hours. you could pack them with a "blue ice" thingy to keep them cool. I sometimes think we obsess about keeping things "cool or cold" too much in this country. Of course it depends on the food....but I grew up in a household that never refrigerated mayonnaise and in the deep south w/o a/c!! No doubt I refrigerate it now.. but my mom never did and we didn't get ill. Were we just lucky? I don't know.

It's been my (very unscientific) observation that people who are required to do a pre-op diet hit a plateau much sooner than those who aren't. Basically, there's a period of time when weight loss is relatively rapid and if the patient is required to do a pre-op diet, that's when it occurs. If not required to do a pre-op diet, then the weight loss proceeds afterwards. Again, this is just my thoughts from reading others posts and I've had a nurse working in bariatrics confirm this as an unofficial observation. It's also true that the more weight you have to lose, the faster it comes off in the initial months. :thumbup: About the only good thing about being SMO I guess. LOL Now that I'm only a little bit more than 200 (215 to 219 these days) I'm lucky to lose 1lb a week. At the beginning of my journey I was losing at an average of 4lbs a week... would love to have that rate again, but I KNOW it would be unhealthy. :thumbup: And no, I wasn't starving myself to loose at that rate.. my food choices had just changed so dramatically.

I don't drink shakes as a regular thing. I much prefer to get my Protein in "real food". However, sometimes when I'm pressed for time, I will grab a RTD shake. I do like the Muscle Milk LIGHT.. but only in the vanilla or strawberry creme. The chocolate is nasty IMO. If the RTD light comes in other flavors I haven't found it in my area.

I currently take Centrum Chewables, but I'm moving back to either BA or Celebrate multi's when I'm finished with them. You know that the Bariatric companies will send you samples if you contact them? Either free or at very low cost so you can try them before you make a big commitment. Building Blocks is another one to try. Celebrate, B. fusion & Building Blocks will all send free samples. BA will sometimes.. I've gotten free one time when I filled out a survey at my doc's office. Other time I had to pay a small fee.. around 5.00. Good luck on finding something you can tolerate and afford. :thumbup:

My son would have a cup or bowl or whatever of ice cream this past summer. I'd get a spoon and have one spoonful and that was enough to satisfy my desire .. all I really needed was a taste. Then I'd go into another room where I couldn't see him eat it and get busy doing something else. This strategy might not work for everyone.. works for me.

I made an bad judgment call yesterday.. bought a box of saltines to have some to eat with my lunch. BAD BAD ME.. I probably ate half the box yesterday. :sneaky: I'm such a carbaholic when it comes to crackers & chips. If they're in the house, I have a hard hard time staying away. I'm up 2lbs, but I'm hoping that's mainly water weight from the salt and it will be gone again by Next Monday. :w00t:

Congrats!! I would like to make Wonderland by Xmas.. but I'm not sure I will. Valentines day for sure. :laugh: Wouldn't that be a sweetheart of a gift to myself?? :biggrin:

Some people advise that if you pb, you should go back to liquids for 24 hours. I don't always do that on the first spitting up episode, but if I do it more than once, I do ease back on the solids. I eat Soups and things like that for a while to let my band settle down a little. Having recurrent pb's can cause the band area to get swollen and then when we try to put more solid food down, it just causes more problems. I know since you just came off Mushie/soft foods this isn't what you really want to hear, but thought I'd mention it. If you continue to have issues, you might want to consider going back to an earlier eating stage for a bit. Nothing magic about 24 hours, you could need 4 hours or 48.. we're all individual and have to learn what works for us. Hope you are able to eat "normal" foods soon. :laugh:

Not ALL surgeries require unfills. But it is advisable if you are prone to nausea with anesthesia. Personally I would rather have a little taken out pre-op than risk slipping my band from post-op N&V.

If you've lost weight since your fill it's totally normal for the type of foods you are able to tolerate to change. We not only lose weight on the outside, but around our stomach too.. so effectively the band becomes looser and the tightness changes. :laugh:

That has happened to me, mainly when I've taken an afternoon nap. It's like waking up from an overnight sleep all over again. Can't easily eat until I drink something warm. :laugh: